Online courses are increasingly seen as a viable way to expand the number and types of courses offered and broadening access to key courses, particularly in small and rural schools. Algebra I in middle school exemplifies an important course that educators and policymakers want to be more available to students. To study the effectiveness of using an online course to broaden eighth graders' access to Algebra I, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) performed the first rigorous evaluation of the impact of an online course on student outcomes. This three-year study examined the effects of offering a fully online Algebra I course to eighth-grade students in mostly rural schools in Maine and Vermont. The study found that offering Algebra I as an online course is an effective way to broaden access for students in schools where access to the course is typically limited. This brief describes the study's purpose, methods, findings, and implications. (Contains 6 figures, 1 table, 1 footnote and 7 endnotes.) [This is a brief summarizing "Access to Algebra I: Online Mathematics for Grade 8 Students," a study conducted by the American Institutes for Research and Education Development Center. To access the full report, see ED527394.]